Social platforms are increasingly taking on the same role as online marketplaces such as Amazon, Zalando and Bol. Through social commerce, inspiration and purchase now happen in one place. After Instagram Shop, WhatsApp Business is now also moving into this space.
With WhatsApp Business you can chat with customers, present your products, share a catalog and allow users to place orders directly. Thanks to the shopping cart feature, customers can now complete a full order inside WhatsApp. In this article you will learn exactly how it works and how you can benefit from it.
In this article:
- what the WhatsApp shopping cart does
- how WhatsApp Shopping works step by step
- how to set up a WhatsApp Business account
- how to create and share a product catalog
- the benefits for both consumers and retailers
WhatsApp shopping cart: ready to start selling
WhatsApp has introduced a shopping cart feature that is ideal for businesses that often sell multiple products to a customer. Users can browse your catalog, select several items and send the entire order to your business as one message.
This makes the process easier for both sides: customers place complete orders in a single message, you receive fewer loose questions and incomplete requests, orders become easier to track and manage and the entire checkout process becomes smoother and faster.
How to sell via WhatsApp Shopping
Follow the steps below to start selling through WhatsApp.
- Create a WhatsApp Business account.
- Build a catalog with your products.
- Share your catalog in WhatsApp chats, on social media or on your website.
- Answer customer questions and confirm incoming orders.
- Process the order and ship the products.
How to create a WhatsApp Business account
Any business can use the shopping cart feature. All you need is the WhatsApp Business app. You can download it for free from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store. Customers can shop through their regular WhatsApp account.
As a Business user you automatically have access to the shopping cart feature. You do not need to activate anything manually. Both you and the customer must use the latest version of WhatsApp.
How to create a catalog in WhatsApp Business
Before you can sell products, you need to create a catalog. This is how it works.
- Open WhatsApp Business.
- Go to Settings, then Business Settings, then Catalog.
- Select Product or Service.
- Add a photo, a product name, a short description and the price.
- Add a product code or SKU if needed.
- Save the item.
Important conditions
- each product must have a unique title
- you can upload up to five hundred products
How to share your WhatsApp catalog
Once your catalog is ready, you can share it with customers. This can be done in several ways.
- share the catalog directly in a WhatsApp conversation
- place the catalog link on social media
- add the link to your website
This helps potential customers discover your assortment, ask questions and place orders immediately.
Benefits for consumers and retailers
Customers can browse your catalog with a standard WhatsApp account. They will see two buttons: Message business and add to cart.
The shopping process works as follows.
- The customer opens a chat with your business or views your business profile.
- The customer opens the catalog through the catalog icon.
- The customer adds products to the cart or asks a question via chat.
- The customer reviews the cart and adjusts quantities if needed.
- The customer sends the cart to you as one message.
- The order becomes final once you confirm it.
Interested in selling through WhatsApp Shopping
Do you want to sell products through WhatsApp Shopping or through one of the major marketplaces? As an ecommerce specialist we help brands with product data, strategy and marketplace optimization.
Want to discuss your WhatsApp Shopping approach with a specialist? Feel free to reach out.
